Object carrying of hexapod robots with integrated mechanism of leg and arm. (December 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Deng, Hua; Xin, Guiyang; Zhong, Guoliang; Mistry, Michael
• Is Part Of: Robotics and computer-integrated manufacturing. Volume 54(2018)
• Page Start: 145
• Page End: 155
• Publication Date: 2018-12
• Subjects: Hexapod robots -- Gait planning -- COG Jacobian -- Carrying objects; Robots, Industrial -- Periodicals; Computer integrated manufacturing systems -- Periodicals; Robotics -- Periodicals; Robots industriels -- Périodiques; Productique -- Périodiques; Robotique -- Périodiques; 670.285
• DOI: 10.1016/j.rcim.2017.11.014
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0736-5845

Abstract

Highlights: Various possibilities for hexapod robots to carry objects are systematically analyzed. Four types of gaits for one or two-legged grasping method are given in detail. The issue of estimation of object's mass is discussed in this paper. A method based on COG Jacobian to deal with the derivation of joint motion according to desired COG trajectory is demonstrated theoretically and experimentally. Abstract: Hexapod robots are easy to realize walking in complicated environments and have the characteristic of high redundancy. It is well worth taking advantage of hexapod robots' versatility, such as using legs to do manipulation or carry objects. In this paper, several methods are proposed to deal with issues of carrying objects by transforming one or two legs as arms while walking on other legs for hexapod robots. Firstly, practical gaits for one-legged carrying and two-legged carrying are presented respectively. Secondly, problems existing in gait planning, for instance how to estimate the mass of object and how to calculate joint motions according to desired center of gravity (COG) trajectory, are solved by dynamic analysis and a kinematic method based on COG Jacobian. Finally, the effectiveness of our methods to implement carrying objects is demonstrated by two successful experiments of carrying a bottle of water and a box.